Suction cleaner



A11-8 5 1941 I v. s. BELPEDIO 2,251,562

sUTIoN CLEANER v Filed April 25, 1940 A 4 3 43 A. 4 t i If 42 f INVENTOR l VINBQNT 5. Ell-:,LPBDID- A ATTORNEY n Patented-@$151941 UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFRE 2,251,562 sUc'rIoN v(':itEANER Vincent S. Belpedio, Bridgeport, Conn. v Appuceuo April 25, 1940, sr1ai-No.331,495 (ci. -6)

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements" in suction cleaners, and more particularly to-l 'relation to beater means a motor driven rotary brush, such beater means being driven synchronously with the brush and arranged in such relation thereto that the carpet or other surface is subjected to a beating action slightly in advance of the rotary brushing action.

While beaters have been employed heretofore' in suction cleaners their action has been such as to be injurious to the iibres of the carpet, this being due particularly -to the fact that the main direction of the movement of the beaters is substantially at right angles to the carpet, with the result that thelbres are apt to become injured and the beating action caused the dirtparticles to be forced downwardly through the carpet. It is an object of the present invention to provide l beater means arranged in advance of the rotary brush and which move in an arc whichis tangential toa plane disposed at an acute forwardly and upwardly inclined angle to the surface of the carpet, to the end that the beaters will engage the sidesof the carpet fibres-and will tend to loosen ljectis to provide a beater mechanism which being driven -by the usual belt drive from the f electric motor.

With the above and other objects in view, em-

bodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawing, and these embodiments will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a view in vertical section, longitudinally through the cleaner, the forward portion of the the dirt particles and deflect them toward the rotary brush, so that they will be most eflectually removed by the suction. It is further proposed to arrange the direction of the movement of the beaters during their beating action in opposition to the forward direction movement of the cleaner, so that the beater action will not tend to oppose this movement, but will in fact assist it thereby increasing the easewith which the cleaner may be operated.

A further object is to provide rotary brush means having a series of tuft strips progressively offset with respect to each other'axially of the brush, so that the carpet is not simultaneously engaged across the full width of the rotary brush,

whereby a more even and uniform cleaning results. It ls proposed in combination with such brush means to provide a plurality of beaters adapted to alternately engage the carpet in synchronism with the engagement by the brush strips, so that the beating action is substantially uniformly timed with the engagement of, vthe carpet by the brush strips.

'A- further obview, showing the beater and rotary brush mechanism, being taken along the line A-A of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view, taken along the line B-B of Fig. 1, the rotary brush being shown partially in vertical section and partially in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the beater elements.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the forward end portion of a suction cleaner according to a modified form of the invention, ,in which the beater elements are provided both in front and in back of the rotary brush, this view being taken along the line C C of Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along the'line D-D ofFig. 4.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, 'andl more particu- 1 larly to Figs. v1 to 3 thereof, the suction cleaner according to the illustrated embodiment of the vinvention shown therein comprises a casing indicated generally as I0. having the usual wheel supports Il at each side, and provided with a nozzle portion I2 extending across the forward end thereof and a dome-shaped motor housing `portion i3 in which the motor ll is mounted upon a plate i5, this motor being provided with a downwardly projecting shaft I6 having a drive belt engaging groove i1 at its lower end and suction fan blades I8 adjacent the motor disposed in a fan chamber I9 formed by the separate bottoml wa/ll section 20 secured to the casing, the fan chamber having connected at its rearward end the dust collecting bag 2|. The shaft I6 extends through an opening 22 in the wall 20 which provides communication between the nozzle portion and the fan chamber. Upon the lower edge of y the nozzle portion of the casing there is detachably secured a bottom plate 23 having an opening 24 constituting the suction mouth'of the nozzle,

and within which the action of the rotary. brush and beater elements takes place, as will presently more fully appear. The bottom plate 23 is retained in place by a spring latch 25, which upon being released from the lip 2B of the bottom plate permits removal of the plate. In addition to the wheels the cleaner is supported upon the usual yieldably mounted rear' wheels 21. It will be understood that the cleaner parts above described are those employed in known types of suction cleaners, being shown herein simply by way of example, and that these parts may be varied as desired. V

'I'he rotary brush element is made up of a series of axially aligned cylindrical brush roller sections, each consisting of a cylindrical wall 2B provided with an integral end wall 29 at one end, the other end having a flanged disc 30 inserted and rigidly secured therein, preferably by welding. In the illustrated embodiment four such sections are employed, although it willybe understood that this number may be varied if desired. particular arrangement employing four sections the two sections at each side of the center are rigidly secured together in spaced relation by a bearing shaft 3 I, having a flange 32 at one end rigidly secured to the disc 30 of one of the sections, preferably by welding, and having at its other a shouldered stud 33 engaged in the disc 30 of the other section and rigidly secured by riveting over, as at 34. These shafts 3| are eccentrically disposed for the purpose of driving the beater elements, as will presently more fully appear, and the shaft at one side is preferably diametrically opposite to the shaft at the other side with respect to the central axis of the rotary brush, as shown clearly in Fig. 1.

The end walls 29 of the two intermediate sections are rigidly secured| together by a pulley wheel 35, the stud shaft ends 35 of which project through the end walls 29 and are rigidly secured by riveting over, as at 31. l

The end walls 29 oi the end roller sections are provided with flanged bearing cups 38 in which a recessed cone bearing element 39 is engaged, this being preferably formed of self-lubricating material, and which is adapted to be adjustably engaged by the cone bearing screw 40 mounted in each end of the casing. These screws as shown are each mounted in an eccentric nutV 4| rotatably engaged in a bearing opening 42 in the casing and frictionally retained in place by a friction spring washer 43. The eccentricity of the nuts 4| is such that upon turning .them in the bearing openings 42, the height of the cone bearing screws with respect to the floor may be adjusted to vary the degree of engagement of .the brush with the floor, as well as the relative positions of the beater elements with respect to the rotary brush, and as will hereinafter more fully appear.

Each of the brush sections is provided with longitudinal circuxnferentially spaced grooves 44, in each of which a brush strip 45 is engaged, the position of the brush strips of the several sections being progressively ofset longitudinally of the rotary brush, sc that the engagement of In the.

the brush strips of each section is slightly in advance of the succeeding section. The rotary brush is driven' from the motor by means of a belt 46 extending over the shaft I6 and the pulley 35 I The beater elements, one of which is disposed in relation to each half of the rotary brush, each consists of a beater bar portion 41, having a pair 'of curved supporting arms 48 extending upwardly therefrom near each end, and provided with axially aligned tubular bearing portions 49 spaced from each other for receiving a driving link, as will presently more fully appear, and provided with bearing arms @50 having axially aligned bearing portions 5|l which are engaged in bearing fixtures 52 integrally formed upon the under.

,side of the nozzle portion I2 of the casing, and

having bearing pins 53 engaging the bearing portions 5|. The axis of the bearing pins 53 is preferably in the vertical plane oi' the axis of rotation of the rotary brush, and the beater elements extend about the forward side of the rotaryfbrush, so that the direction of movement of the beater bar portions 41 with respect to the surface of the carpet is tangential to a piane disposed at an acute forwardly and' upwardly inclined angle to the surface of the carpet, and as indicated by the arrow in Fig.l. The beater elements are each adapted to be driven by a link 54 engaged at one end with the eccentric shaft 3| and having its other end engaged between the tubular bearing portions 49, a pivot pin 55 being engaged through these bearing portions to pivotally connect the link.

As shown clearly in Fig. 1 the eccentric shafts 3| have their axes diametrically opposed with respect to the axis of rotation of the brush roller, so that one beater element moves downwardly into beating engagement with the carpet while the other beater element moves upwardly, and the point of engagement of one beater element is thus substantially synchronized with the engagement of the carpet by the circumferentially offset brushes atV each side of the center of the rotary brush, so that the combined beating andbrushing action is uniform acrossl the full width of the cleaner.` lThe manner in which the beaters engage the carpet surface in an arc tangential ,to an acute angle forwardly of thev rotary brush is such that the beat up particles of dirtV are defiected toward the brush, the brushing action following the beating action in such close relabeaters in the most effective position to be engaged by the brushes. This action is further enhanced in that the suction action lifts the carpet slightly at the point where the fnozzle opening 24 engages the carpet, so that the carpet is supported upon an air cushion as it is being beaten. Inasmuch as the direction of the movement of the beater elements with respect to the floor is substantially in opposed relation to the forward movement of the cleaner the beater action will not tend to resist thisI forward movement, but will in fact assist it.

In'Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown a modification 4in which the beater elements are* provided both in front and in back of the brush, these being elements both being secured by a pivot shaft 53a extending through the two bearing fixtures 52. The drive links 54a and E'nlb of the forward and rearward'beater elements, are vboth connected to the same eccentric shaft 3|, the link 54a having a split bearing portion.56 within which is engaged the bearing portion 51 of the link 54h. In consequence'of this drive c onnection the forward and rearward beater elements will have alternate beating action, the rearward unit moving away from the carpet surface as the forward unit moves toward it. While only one pair of forward and rearward beater elements,

to compensate for the brushing a'ction which tends to bend the fibres downwardly in one direction.

While I have shown the beater elements arranged in pairs it will be understood that either a single beater or three or more may be emg ployed.

It will also'be understood that other types of 'rotary-brushes may 'be employed, as for instance, one with spirally arranged tufts.

I have illustrated and described preferred and -satisfactory embodiments of the invention, but

it vwill be understood that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as

defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is;

1. In a suction cleaner having a casing provided with a nozzle mouth arranged to pass over the carpet surface, or the like to be cleaned, a rotary brush mounted in saidvy nozzle mouth, a beater element comprising an arm pivotally mounted 'at its upper end in said casing extending downwardly in spaced relation about the periphery ofsaid rotary brush at one side and having a carpet engaging surface at its lower end adapted to move in an arc about the pivotal mounting of said beater element, said arc being tangential to a plane inclined at an acute angle to the plane of the surface to be cleaned, and a driving link pivotally connected to said arm intermediate its upper ,and lower ends and pivotally connected eccentrically to said rotary brush adapted to oscillate said beater element as said brush 1s rotated.

2. In a suction cleaner having'a casing provided with a nozzle mouth arranged to pass over the carpet surface or the like to be cleaned, a rotary brush mounted in said nozzle mouth, a pair of beater elements pivotally mounted in said casing upon a common axis and in the same vertical plane with the axis of said rotary brush, one of said beater elements being forwardlyand the other rearwardly of said rotary brush, each having a carpet engaging surface adapted to move in an arc about the pivotal mounting of said beater elements, said arcs being respectively tangential to planes inclined at an acute angle to the plane of the surface to be cleaned, one of said planes being inclinedforwardly and upwardly and the other being inclined rearwardly and upwardly, anda pair of driving links pivotally connected eccentrically to said rotary brush upon a common axis, and respectively pivotally connected to said beater elements at points intermediate their pivotal mountings and their carpet engaging surfaces adapted to oscillate said beater elements.

VINCENT S. BELPEDIO. 

